Milan Court Dismisses Fraud Case Against Influencer Chiara Ferragni

On January 14, 2026, the judicial authorities in Milan officially brought an end to the extensive legal proceedings involving entrepreneur and fashion influencer Chiara Ferragni. This court decision concludes a high-profile investigation into her promotional activities, specifically those involving traditional Italian Christmas cakes known as pandoro and themed Easter eggs. The ruling marks a definitive turning point for the digital creator, whose international business empire had faced intense scrutiny and legal pressure over the past several years.

The legal saga, which captivated the Italian public and the global fashion industry, began in December 2022 after journalist Selvaggia Lucarelli raised critical questions regarding the authenticity of charitable donations linked to pandoro sales. These specific marketing campaigns were presented as benefiting the Regina Margherita Children's Hospital in Turin. However, subsequent investigations revealed a significant discrepancy: the manufacturer, Balocco, had made a fixed donation of 50,000 euros before the campaign even launched, while Ferragni’s companies generated over one million euros in profit from the initiative. By December 2023, Ferragni herself publicly acknowledged what she described as a "communication error" regarding the nature of the partnership and the charity link.

The recent acquittal by the Milanese court was primarily procedural in nature, which implies that the underlying facts of the case were not necessarily disproven by the judge. The court declined to accept the prosecution's argument regarding the aggravating circumstance of "diminished defense" for online consumers. This legal distinction effectively reclassified the charges from aggravated fraud to simple fraud. Because the various consumer associations that initially filed the complaints received financial settlements and subsequently withdrew their lawsuits, the criminal prosecution against Ferragni and her business partners, including co-founder Fabio Damato, was terminated under Italian law.

This legal resolution follows a series of heavy financial penalties previously imposed by the Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) in December 2023. Both Ferragni’s corporate entities and the manufacturer Balocco were sanctioned for unfair commercial practices related to the "Pandoro Pink Christmas" promotion. In total, Ferragni’s companies have paid approximately 3.4 million euros in fines and compensation. This substantial figure includes a voluntary one-million-euro donation made to the Regina Margherita hospital as a gesture of restitution and goodwill following the public outcry.

The scandal, widely referred to in the media as "Pandorogate," has had lasting implications for the Italian digital landscape, prompting the national government to introduce much stricter transparency regulations for the influencer industry. Under the new legislative framework, content creators with more than 500,000 followers are now required to register with the Italian Communications Regulatory Authority (AGCOM) and adhere to rigorous disclosure standards for all sponsored content. Before the case was dismissed this week, Milanese prosecutors had been seeking a prison sentence of one year and eight months for both Ferragni and Damato, highlighting the severity with which the state initially viewed the allegations.

Following the court's announcement, Ferragni, who maintains a massive digital presence with approximately 28 million followers on Instagram, expressed her profound relief to her audience. She described the conclusion of the legal battle as the end of a "nightmare" and thanked her supporters for their loyalty throughout the ordeal. The case remains a landmark example of the potential for ethical lapses in the influencer marketing sector, particularly concerning the intersection of commercial profit and charitable causes, and it continues to serve as a cautionary tale for the global creator economy.